Description
The highlight of the gardening year, the Chelsea Flower Show, is the centrepiece of our touring programme. The complete tour of 11 days takes in the gardens of Kent, the gardens of London, and the gardens of Hampshire. If you don’t have that much time, then we can also offer you two shorter options, both 7 days. You can choose from either the Kent and London sectors only, or the London and Hampshire sectors only. Both are equally memorable and both include, of course, a day at the Chelsea Flower Show.
Day 1 Wisley RHS and Chartwell (Overnight in Kent)
Our 2010 tour begins with two of the most popular and iconic of England’s homes and gardens. Leaving London we head first to Wisley, the world-renowned home of the Royal Horticultural Society, where you will have plenty of time to stroll through the spectacular and varied gardens. Does Winston Churchills home of Chartwell require an introduction? What makes it such a memorable visit is not only the view from the garden which inspired his painting, but the fact that the interior is almost as he left it. You can almost smell the cigars!
(D)
Day 2 Ightham Mote and Scotney Castle (Overnight in Kent)
Ightham Mote is deservedly one of the most popular small gardens in the region. Here you can explore 650 years of history in one of the most complete examples of a medieval moated manor house. Those of you interested in historical novels might remember it as the setting for Anya Seton’s “Green Darkness”. Then on to Scotney Castle which has been termed Englands most romantic garden with Victorian terraces covered in a riot of coloured shrubs overlooking a 14th century moated castle.
(B)
Day 3 Hever Castle and Sissinghurst (Overnight in Kent)
We travel a short distance to the fabulous Sissinghurst Castle and Vita Sackville Wests world famous garden, which requires no introduction to garden enthusiasts. We have plenty of time to explore this intimate and intricate garden and to visit those parts of her home open to the public. Hever Castle is the jewel in our day. Hever is many peoples idea of what a real castle should be, from its gateway and courtyard to its surrounding moat. Though dating back to 1270, and being the family home of one of Henry VIIIs ill-fated wives (Anne Boleyn), it also has a relatively contemporary feel provided by the Astors, who took over and restored the castle in the early part of the last century. With a 30-acre garden, including a unique Italian garden filled with roses and statues, theres plenty to admire here. If time permits, we visit Groombridge Place, an unusual combination of a traditional heritage garden and ancient woodland.
(B/D)
Day 4 Merriments, Great Dixter and Bodiam (Overnight in the London area)
This region is blessed with homes and gardens. Merriments Gardens is, in the words of the RHS Garden Finder, “one of the best show gardens in England”. It is a stunningly beautiful four acres of densely-planted borders, where the plants grown in the nursery can be seen in an imaginative garden context. Another icon is Great Dixter, the largest half-timbered house in England. But it is the garden that really grabs the attention with its topiary, wild meadows and famed Long Border. It is one that cannot be missed. Our final visit of the day will be the magnificently preserved 15th century Bodiam Castle with its medieval battlements, ramparts and moat.
(B)
Day 5 Kew Gardens and Ham House (Overnight in the London area)
Our London day concentrates on some of the gardens and stately homes that run along the banks of the Thames to the west of the city like a string of pearls. We begin our day in the famed Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew, which is responsible for the world’s largest collection of living plants. These living collections include more than 30,000 different kinds of plant. A short distance away, under the watchful eye of Richmond Hill, sits Ham House. This magnificent Stuart mansion, with its lavish 17th century interiors, boasts one of the last-remaining formal Dutch gardens.
(B/D)
Day 6 Chelsea Flower Show (Overnight London)
The world famous CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW is our central feature of the day.
(B)
Day 7 Savill Garden and Cliveden (Overnight in the London area)
Today we visit the Chilterns, a region of the UK that can truly be described as a hidden secret. The Savill Garden near Windsor is one of Britain’s greatest ornamental gardens, enjoyed by horticulturalists and enthusiasts alike, who come to explore its 35 acres of contemporary and classically-designed gardens and exotic woodland. Then on to Cliveden, known particularly for its links with the Astors, with its magnificent series of formal gardens overlooking the River Thames, each with its own style and character.
(B)
Day 8 Painshill Park and Hinton Ampner (Overnight Hampshire)
Our first visit of the day is to Painshill Park. Created in the 18th century by the Hon Charles Hamilton, a painter, plants-man and brilliantly gifted and imaginative designer, it is a unique award winning restoration of Englands Georgian heritage. Within its 160 acres the landscapes are a work of art that influenced the future of Englands countryside and culture. Next on to Hinton Ampner, one of the great gardens of the 20th-century. It is a masterpiece of design by Ralph Dutton, 8th and last Lord Sherborne, uniting a formal layout with varied and informal plantings in pastel shades.
(B/D)
Day 9 Queen Victoria’s Osborne House and Ventnor Botanic Gardens (Overnight Hampshire)
The Isle of Wight sits a short ferry crossing from the Hampshire mainland and offers us a unique day out with some fabulous sightseeing opportunities. The jewel in todays crown is Osborne House, where Queen Victoria chose to spend her summers. The house and gardens are national treasures. Inside youll see how Queen Victoria lived (and also sneak a look beneath stairs to see how her staff worked and lived). In the wonderful 50 acre gardens that sweep to the Swiss Cottage, youll walk amongst magnolias, Lebanon cedar, azaleas and other in-season blooms. There is also a perfect Victorian walled kitchen garden. Our second visit of the day takes us to Ventnor Botanic Garden which is devoted to exotic plants, many, if not most of which, are from the southern hemisphere.
(B)
Day 10 Heale and Mottisfont (Overnight Hampshire)
Our first visit today is to Heale House and its eight acres of beautiful gardens which lie beside the river Avon just north of Salisbury. Much of the house is unchanged since King Charles II hid here in 1651. On a sunny day Heales formal gardens display spectacular colour while shade can be found in the walled garden and tranquillity in the Japanese water garden. Mottisfont, our final stop of the day, is a garden noted for its colourful herbaceous borders, grassy terraces planted with fruit trees and its sea views. The 16th and 17th century manor house lies at the heart of the Mottistone Estate, which offers delightful walks between the Downs and the coast.
(B/D)
Day 11 Wilton House and Exbury
Wilton House is truly one of the countrys treasure houses. Here, amidst nearly 500 years of history, you will experience living history at its very best as you wander through its magnificent rooms, marvel at its architecture, soak in its fine paintings and be swept off your feet by its spectacular gardens. Then on to Exbury Garden, a spectacular 200-acre site world-famous for the Rothschild Collection of rhododendrons, azaleas and camellias and rare trees and shrubs. We then return to London at the end of our fascinating day.
(B)
Suitable For
Everyone welcome
What's included?
Inclusions:
* 10 nights in traditional & unique accommodation
* Driver/guide companion
* All mini-coach transportation
* Full English breakfast daily
* Local evening meals x 5
* Entrance to the Chelsea Flower Show
* Entrance fees as listed:
* Wisley RHS
* Chartwell
* Ightham Mote
* Scotney Castle
* Hever Castle
* Groombridge Place
* Merriments Gardens
* Great Dixter
* Bodiam Castle
* Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew
* Ham House
* Savill Garden
* Cliveden
* Painshill Park
* Hinton Ampner
* Osborne House
* Ventnor Botanic Garden
* Heale House
What to bring
Camera
Extras
Supplements: -
***Single Supplement Available Upon Request***
Pickup Option:
London - 8:30
central London
Return Option:
London
given on booking
Travel Information
Pick-up/Drop-off Information:
Tour returns (approx) at 5.30pm from:
0830am pickup:
The Park Inn Hotel Hyde Park
66 Lancaster Gate
London
